Appalachian English Grammar Rules PDF

What did we learn? 8 — What do you think the rule is? — What is the rule that descriptive linguists have found? — A-prefixing is compatible with verbs but not nouns or adjectives. This is part of a rule of the syntax/morphology of Appalachian English ¡ Example: *The child was very a-charming. ¡...

What did we learn? 8 — What do you think the rule is? — What is the rule that descriptive linguists have found? — A-prefixing is compatible with verbs but not nouns or adjectives. This is part of a rule of the syntax/morphology of Appalachian English ¡ Example: *The child was very a-charming. ¡ Appalachian English: Would a native speaker allow (a) or (b)? Pt.2 9 In AE, not all verbs can be a-prefixed… — 1 a. She was a-discóvering a trail. b. She was a-fóllowing a trail. — 2 a. She was a-repéating the chant. b. She was a-hóllering the chant. — 3 a. They were a-fíguring the change. b. They were a-forgétting the change. What did we learn? 10 — What do you think the rule is? — What is the rule that descriptive linguists have found? — “A-prefixing occurs with verbs that bear stress on the initial syllable”. -Yale Grammatical Diversity Project This is a rule of the phonology of Appalachian English. ¡ Example: She was a-hóllering the chant. ¡ Descriptive Practice Conclusion 11 — In fact there are even MORE constraints on the use of a-prefixing by native Appalachian English speakers! — THINK ABOUT IT: What are some of the descriptive rules for your dialect of your native language?